You will buy this book. The expanded rules on the core races make this something you're going to want to have. All the rules-and a good bit of the fluff-from the Core and APG and reprinted here along with new racial feats, alternative racial traits and alternative class abilities. This is a book that is going to see some serious use during character creation.
Ok that's the good, let's move to the bad. Most of the artwork is ugly. Almost all of the characters pictured look like they dumped stated cha. This holds true even for the races that have a bonus to cha. Additionally, a couple races-most notably the Aasimars and Merfolk-just have flat out bad art. All of the artwork, except for chapter introductions, are static poses. While I understand this for each races portrait couldn't the other artwork have shown more dynamic scenes?
The new races are unimaginative. Among the "new" races are: half-angles, half-vampires, half-shadows, half-fire elementals, half-earth elementals, half-water elementals, half-air elementals, half-demons, half-hags and half-nagas. The ARG may give these races other names, such as changelings, but a good portion of the book is expressly humans crossed with something else.
The remaining races are nothing much to write home about. Many of the races are what should be expected of an expanded races book. Drow, Goblins, Hobgoblins, Orcs and Kobolds all appear. Some interesting ideas from other Paizo products, such a the Tengu and Kitsune also show up. Where the designers do decide to take a risk we get things like the Gillmen, who die if not submerged in water at least once a day. Further, a number of race throughout the book suffer from a truly poor selection of stat adjustments. To give one example the half-hag (changeling) gets +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma, -2 Constitution. It seems that, under Pathfinder rules, half-hags make poor witches (witches being intelligence based casters).
As I said, most players will likely buy this book for the expanded base class options. Compared with the large selection of imaginative races in Complete Book of Humanoids for AD&D 2nd the Advanced Race Guide falls badly short.
Full Name
Baolo Halden
Race
Human
Classes/Levels
Cleric (Hidden Priest) / 3 | AC 16 T 11 F 15 | HP 26/26 | F +5 R +2 W +6| | Channel Energy: 4/4 | Agile Feet 6/6 | Init +2
With the Church of the Drunken Hero having burned to the ground during the Chelish Civil War and its worshipers hunted to near extinction, it is indeed Kintargo's strong spirit and the former Lord Mayor's light hand that ensured an underground resurgence of the Drunken Hero's worship. Born to two such worshipers, one a guard in Jilia Bainilus' service and the other a priestess to the Drunken Hero who quietly expressed her faith through a small inn called "The Plentiful Tankard", Baolo was secretly raised to respect Cayden's tenets of freedom and bravery. A native Kintargan, that inn that was his home in the seedier part of the city, his first work was assisting his mother in running the inn where at night he would listen to his mother tell tales of the history of Kintargo's rebellious spirit. It was these stories that fueled the young human's interest in the history of the rebellious groups that came before. As he grew, Baolo applied his mother's lessons and hid his faith behind the brewing done at the inn. In this brewing, he found a closer connection to the Drunken Hero, eventually becoming a priest in secret. Baolo continued to help in the running of the inn, keeping his head down and his thoughts to himself. The inn itself was rather simple, and offered a place for the common working man to retreat too after a long day's work. Indeed, the only discreet sign that the inn held anything more than a friendly and boisterous atmosphere was the silver tankard that shared a place among the other wooden and iron tankards gracing the tavern's wall. However, about two weeks before the protests that overran Aria Park, his life changed. His father disappearing at the same time as the former Lord Mayor and the new Lord Mayor Thrune levying ever harsher edicts, Baolo decided it was time to do something about the new Thrune who had the gall to stifle Kintargo's freedom even further. Recalling his mother's stories, and growing tired of seeing the image of Queen Thrune in the window of his family's business, he decided to protest the government. Hearing rumors of such a gathering forming at Aria Park, he decided to go and let his voice be heard.
Description:
Standing at 5'9" tall, Baolo is broad-shouldered and decked out in a heavy plated coat. In contrast to his sturdy form, a slim rapier is sheathed at his hip and he holds a clay tankard in his left hand, which he occasionally takes a drink from. Under his armor is tough, durable clothing though his boots are soft-soled. Fully equipped, he looks nothing more than a mercenary. When not wearing his armor, a simple innkeep's apron is tied off over his stained clothing.
Personality:
Cheerful and boisterous, Baolo often acts if he doesn't have a care in the world. Though, deep down, his love of his home city keeps him up at night. He often grows impatient and is one who prefers to react instantly to a situation. This impatience does cause him to get riled up at times and some who don't know him well think that he is short-tempered. To his friends however, he is loyal, and endearing. Slightly superstitious, he can often be seen taking a drink of good, strong alcohol to steel his resolve.
Progression Plan:
Will continue in cleric and later multiclass into the Brewkeeper prestige class, if allowed
